The Sisters of Straygarden Place

Since their parents vanished seven years ago, leaving them a list of rules ("Do not leave the house. Do not go into the grass. Wait for us. Sleep darkly"), the Ballastian sisters--10-year-old Pavonine, 12-year-old Mayhap, and 14-year-old Winnow--have lived alone at Straygarden Place, a semi-sentient house that fulfills their every need. Unable to sleep without the droomhunds, which settle into their minds at night, the sisters await their parents' return. When Winnow ventures into the forbidding silver grass outside--which perpetually whispers to the girls and tries to creep inside--and comes down with an uncanny affliction, Mayhap delves into Straygarden's secrets to find a cure. Instead, she discovers a strange girl who claims to be the source of the house's magic, as well as the shocking reason behind her parents' disappearance. Chewins (The Turnaway Girls) weaves a vivid, otherworldly tale of family and secrets, with a gothic setting that serves as a character in its own right. Through themes of identity, forgiveness, and longing, Mayhap's unpredictable quest becomes intensely personal, especially as the sisters reinvent their familial relationship. Ages 10-14. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Sept.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-6--Mayhap Ballastian and her sisters Winnow and Pavonine have been trapped in Straygarden Place since their parents disappeared several years earlier. Luckily, the house takes care of everything the sisters need, providing meals on demand and droomhunds to darken their sleep and keep them company. It isn't safe to go outside the tall magical grasses surrounding the house--but one terrible day, Winnow goes wandering in the grasses anyway. From that point forward, everything that the sisters knew to be true starts to unravel as Mayhap must save her family and herself. Along the way, she meets the Mysteriessa of Straygarden Place, who claims to use magic to take care of the house and the Ballastians...but can she be trusted? The magic of Straygarden Place is dreamy and imbued with dread, providing a strong setting for Mayhap's trials. Though at times the surreality of the world makes it hard to follow, the plot and characters are engaging enough to make up for it. VERDICT A strong opening and consistent sense of urgency makes this an ideal choice for reluctant readers interested in slightly spooky fantasy. Give to fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Kenneth Oppel's The Nest, or The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee.--Kelsey Socha, Springfield City Lib., MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This is a magnificent tale of love, forgiveness, hope, the costs of magic, and the complexities of family, all told with such poetry, such strange and subtle horrors, and set in a world so finely etched in bizarre and beautiful detail, I haven't stopped thinking about it for days. It's all I can do not to flip right back to the beginning and start reading all over again.
—Kate Milford, New York Times best-selling author of the Greenglass House series

Chewins weaves a magical, gothic jewel of a tale about love, loss, and the bonds of sisterhood. Readers will be drawn into this darkly beautiful world from the very first page as they explore the mysteries of Straygarden Place and slip into the sinister silver grass alongside its heroines.
—R. M. Romero, Carnegie Medal-nominated author of The Dollmaker of Krakow

One of the most imaginative novels I have ever read, The Sisters of Straygarden Place is lush, decadent, and impossible to put down. Hayley Chewins kept my heart pounding from beginning to end, and her vivid worldbuilding had me peeking around corners to see what dark secrets she'd hidden there. Just like the Ballastian sisters, readers will not be able to leave Straygarden Place until they reach the very last page.
—Christina Soontornvat, author of A Wish in the Dark

Addictive, lush, and brimming with imagination. Chewins delivers a haunting tale of secrets, family, and love, where nothing is as it seems and an old and unsettling magic rules the world. Perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge, The Sisters of Straygarden Place is sure to keep young readers riveted long past their bedtimes.
—K. A. Reynolds, author of The Spinner of Dreams

Lyrical and imaginative, rich and riveting. This is Hayley Chewins at her best, writing about magical girls with secrets and sisters who rise above the odds. An absolute must-read!
—Christine Day, author of I Can Make This Promise, an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book

Chewins' prose is exquisite, her eerie concepts heart-wrenching...Superb, spooky, and unforgettable.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Chewins (The Turnaway Girls) weaves a vivid, otherworldly tale of family and secrets, with a gothic setting that serves as a character in its own right. Through themes of identity, forgiveness, and longing, Mayhap's unpredictable quest becomes intensely personal, especially as the sisters reinvent their familial relationship.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A strong opening and consistent sense of urgency makes this an ideal choice for reluctant readers interested in slightly spooky fantasy. Give to fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Kenneth Oppel's The Nest, or The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee.
—School Library Journal

Chewins (The Turnaway Girls, BCCB 10/18) employs captivating, atmospheric prose that smoothly draws the thread of the story. Readers who enjoyed the imaginative variety and scarier elements of Valente's Fairyland series will be drawn to this darkly, gloriously weird tale with sisterhood at its heart.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books